Presidency of the Republic of Turkey

10/03/2018 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/03/2018 05:35

“We want to rank among the leading countries of the world in the development of digital technologies”

In a speech marking the start of the new academic year, President Erdoğan said: 'We want to rank among the leading countries of the world in the use and development of digital technologies. Only then can we truly elevate our economic and social prosperity. To this end, we will lend support to projects that will boost our efficiency and competitiveness.'

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at Beştepe Convention and Culture Center on the occasion of the start of the new academic year.

'WE WILL NEVER ALLOW PARALLEL EDUCATION SYSTEMS'

'Our goal is to establish and install a system whereby our students will be able to enter university without receiving private support from any organization or person other than the lessons at their schools. We will never allow parallel education systems which in the past caused a lot of exploitation and even security problems. I am of the belief that we have resolved our quantitative problems concerning entrance to our universities and equal opportunity in education to a great extent,' President Erdoğan said.

'Turkey must first complete its digital transformation to catch up with the era and to even go beyond it. It is not possible for a country that falls behind in technology to achieve its scientific and industrial goals,' President Erdoğan underlined, adding: 'We trust in the intelligence, industriousness and prolificacy of our people.'

'WE SHOULDN'T FORGET THAT WARS IN THE FUTURE WILL BE WAGED WITH CYBER WEAPONS'

President Erdoğan continued: 'We want to rank among the leading countries of the world in the use and development of digital technologies. We are determined to do so. Only then can we truly elevate our economic and social prosperity. To this end, we will lend support to projects that will boost our efficiency and competitiveness. Cyber security and information security will be among the realms of our Digital Transformation Office. We cannot look to future with confidence if we fail to protect with diligence the data our country possesses and the information it generates, just like our lands. We shouldn't forget that wars in the future will be waged with cyber weapons, not with the conventional ones.'

Highlighting Turkey's desire to launch a massive technology initiative through the Digital Transformation Office and with the support of the private sector, President Erdoğan added that they also plan to carry out, through the Human Resources Office, works that closely concern university students' future.

Further stressing that Turkey has been going through a period of great struggles both at home and abroad, President Erdoğan stated that academics, just like anyone else, also need support in the ongoing period. 'During our recent visits to the U.S. and Germany, we once again witnessed a reality which we constantly see. A lot of false, incorrect and misleading information about our country is in circulation in the media organs, academic circles and generally among the public of Western countries. We need to work in a spirit of mobilization for the correction of these fallacies.'